The Thunder Bay Blues Society board of directors is proud to announce the two co-headlining bands for Blues Shakedown 2026 Saturday October 17, 2026 at the DaVinci Centre (340 Waterloo St South). Both bands are signed to Alligator Records (the worlds’ largest independent blues record label). It will truly be an evening of “Genuine Houserockin’ Music”.
Closing the evening at 9:30pm will be The Chris O’Leary Band!
Early in harmonica/vocalist Chris O’Learys’ career, his talent caught the eye of The Band’s drummer Levon Helm, who, while still recovering from throat surgery, would frequently go to O’Leary’s local gigs and sit in. Before long, Helm invited O’Leary to move to New Orleans to front his house band, The Barn Burners (which also included his talented daughter Amy Helm), at Helm’s Classic American Café. O’Leary worked five nights a week, often performing with legends including Hubert Sumlin and his hero, James Cotton.
After the club closed, O’Leary toured North America for six years with Helm and The Barn Burners, until vocal issues led him to temporarily stop performing. While recovering, he worked as a federal police officer, but his passion for music persevered, as he continued to tour and perform on his days off. He made his recording debut on Hubert Sumlin’s About Them Shoes in 2003, an album produced by The Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards and including his friend and Muddy Waters’ band alumni, guitarist Bob Margolin. In 2010, encouraged by Margolin, O’Leary released his first solo album, Mr. Used To Be, earning critical acclaim and multiple awards. Four more solo albums solidified his influence in the blues world, marked by electrifying performances and a deep connection to his musical roots.
Chris O’Leary’s journey in music took a significant leap with the release of his Alligator Records debut, The Hard Line, in January 2024, and Blue Collar scheduled to be released July 10, 2026. These days, O’Leary’s name is mentioned alongside the greats of the genre, with fans filling his concerts. O’Leary has always been a monster road warrior, performing hundreds of shows a year all over the world. Outside of the U.S., he’s played in Canada, Ireland, Spain, France, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, the Czech Republic and Portugal. This show will be his Thunder Bay debut.
7:30pm will feature the return to Thunder Bay of Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials after a twenty-year absence!
For nearly 40 years together, Blues Hall Of Famers Lil’ Ed Williams & The Blues Imperials have been delivering gloriously riotous, intensely emotional, wickedly playful Chicago blues to audiences around the world. Lil’ Ed – like his musical forebearers, slide guitar masters J.B. Hutto (Ed’s uncle), Elmore James and Hound Dog Taylor – is among the giants of the genre. His celebratory slide work, deep blues string bending, fervent vocals and riveting original songs, all powered by The Blues Imperials’ rock-solid, road-tested, telepathic musicianship, are as real and hard-hitting as Chicago blues gets. According to Guitar World, “The band is a snarling boogie-blues machine.”
Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials recently released their 10th Alligator Records album, and perhaps the crowning achievement of their entire career. Mixing smoking slide guitar boogies and raw-boned shuffles with the deepest soul-burners and heart-wrenching slow blues, Lil’ Ed Williams and The Blues Imperials bring it all back home, playing with an impassioned sense of wild abandon.
The group has won just about every award the blues world has to offer. In 2024, Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials were inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. We are proud to bring the band back to Thunder Bay.
BLUES SHAKEDOWN 2026 … an evening of “Genuine Houserockin’ Music” you will not want to miss!
